Very slowly, this story it starting to take a slightly different direction, so I'll see what my rabid plot bunnies do next.
Arthur had dived for the sword, seeing the club coming down. Then a moment later Galen was there. He didn't attempt to stop Barak, the man was physically stronger and Galen didn't seem to want to go against him. Instead he went to grab Arthur. Arthur wasn't entirely certain what the youthful healers' intention actually was. His actions were certainly not that of someone knowledgeable in fighting and defence. In fact, Galen's gesture seemed like the kind of daft thing Merlin would do.
In that split second Arthur had to make a decision. He gave up on the idea of grabbing the sword. Although he might have been able to try and use it to block Barak's blow, Galen would be too close to make it a safe move. The scenarios calculated in Arthur's mind in a fraction of a second, so quickly that he almost didn't realise he was doing it. It was perfectly natural, he wasn't even really thinking about it, he was just acting to his surroundings. His body's responses to danger, and a fight, were all perfectly instinctive, well-honed and unconscious.
At the same time that ran through his head, he also realised that there was no way to completely stop the blow. It was too close. Arthur rolled and kicked Barak's knee, knocking him off balance and at the same time he grabbed the man's shirt. He could feel the movement of Barak's body, and the angle told Arthur the man had intended to hurt, the power of his body put into the blow. Looking higher Arthur saw the gleam in his eyes that let him know that Barak was too overtaken by rage to think rationally. Arthur knew people who had gone mad through battles, and trauma and the sight of so many awful things. He worried about himself on occasion, but in the end, Merlin always seemed to haul him back. Arthur wasn't sure if Merlin realised what he was doing, but that might have been half the power of it.
Pushing on Barak Arthur realised just how tired he was. He felt conscious of the fact he had been fighting, he hadn't eaten much and only had a small amount of water. Arthur had reserves of strength, but they could only do so much. All he could manage to do was lessen the blow as the club cracked against the back of Galen's head. It didn't land with full force but Arthur saw the droplets of blood that spurted out as Galen's skin broke, he watched the boy's head jerk. It hit low on his skull, and his head lifted. Arthur watched Galen's eyes roll in his head, his eyelids fluttering and he fell forward.
With the same lightening instinct Arthur let Barak go and he grabbed Galen, wrapping an arm around his waist as he toppled. Arthur pulled him close and let Galen's weight crash onto him, controlling his own fall as they collided and went down.
"Arthur!"
He sort of registered Merlin's shout of concern but Arthur landed on his back, Galen flopping down on top of him. Again Arthur's physical intelligence kicked in. He rolled to move Galen's limp form off him, but he moved him in the direction that Merlin's voice had come from. Very gently Arthur got Galen down on the floor, and looked him up and down.
"Merlin!"
Arthur kept the concern out of his shout, because he needed Merlin to deal with this. As he laid him down, Galen's face was pale, eyes closed and body unresponsive. Merlin responded to the shout. He moved from a sitting position onto his knees and then dropping forward, crawled towards Arthur. He was holding Galen's head gently, lifting one hand away to find his hand slick with blood.
"Merlin, what do we do?"
"Erm…" Merlin looked Galen up and down, and then put his hands under his body. "Roll him to you, careful of his head."
Neither of them really paid attention to the crowd around them, who had subdued at the sudden development. Barak stood there, the club still in his grip, his arm limp at his side. Merlin looked at the damage at the back of Galen's head. The skin had split, blood flowing from the wound, but that wasn't the problem, what could be happening under the surface was of greater concern.
"Merlin?"
Looking up, Merlin glared at Arthur, ordering him to shut up. It didn't happen often but Arthur clenched is jaw and waited, holding Galen in position while Merlin looked at the head wound.
"The blow was light, but that doesn't mean anything, it could just be a brain shake, or at worse the skull could be damaged." Merlin turned his head and looked at the club Barak was holding. It was made of a thick branch, tapering down at the handle and the widest point lay at the top, knots in the wood stood out on the bark. He could see drops of blood glistening on the wood and Merlin looked away, staring down at Galen.
"Galen!" Merlin gave him a light shake and at Merlin's movements, Arthur lay Galen down on his back again. Galen looked to be breathing fine and putting his head down on his chest, Merlin heard the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. He peeled back Galen's eyelids. "Galen?"
"What do you keep shouting at him for?" Barak snapped. He almost grabbed Merlin's hair but Arthur leant up and gripped his wrist in a lightening reaction.
"He knows what he's doing," Arthur snapped. "He's trained with our court physician!"
Merlin thought that was a little bit of an over interpretation. True, Gaius lectured him and Merlin followed him around enough, he knew the basics, had some good ideas on occasion but he was nowhere close to the standard that Arthur's words had just implied. Merlin tried not to think about that, the knights were always getting bashed on the head. Most of the time they were wearing helmets, but he desperately tried to think of the other times. He couldn't remember Arthur ever having been injured in such a way. Then again he was thick-headed, Merlin sniped to himself. He gently probed the wound, ignoring the blood and trying to feel the bone underneath.
"I don't think it's fractured," he mused. "The skull hadn't been indented."
"That's good right?" Arthur asked. Merlin nodded.
"There's a bit of a lump," Merlin added. Then he shook Galen again. "Galen?" Merlin raised his voice and then pinched Galen's earlobe as hard as he could. He breathed a sigh of relief as the youth's eyelids flickered just by the merest fraction.
"He could be out for a while though; we should move him somewhere more comfortable, and I'll need to keep an eye on him. And find something too soothe the bruising, and bring down the swelling."
Arthur nodded at Merlin's musing. He presumed the rest of the bandits that had moved closer were doing the same. Most were hanging back, lingering nervously, their game having gone horribly wrong. There was still that sense of dangerous energy around the group. Arthur guessed they could easily blame him, or Merlin, for what happened.
Merlin jumped as there was a dull thud as Barak tossed the club away. He stepped forward and crouched down, his eyes on the two of his comrades who had been guarding Merlin. They did the same and stepped forward.
"We'll take him to my tent, it's nearest."
Then Barak turned and started to lift Galen, at just the same moment that Arthur did so as well, brushing their hands together. Both men jerked their heads up, looking at each other from either side of the prone healer, their faces inches apart, eyes locked in challenge. The two other men froze, watching the scene. Merlin looked from one to the other.
"Arthur, support his head," he eventually ordered.
The command diverted Arthur's attention, he glanced at Merlin and then back down to Galen.
"Right," Arthur said. He moved the grip, gingerly lifting Galen's head while Merlin tugged on the material around his neck. Pulling it clear he folded it up carefully and slid it under Galen's head, guiding Arthur's hand to it.
"Don't apply too much pressure, just rest it in your palm and try not to let it move too much."
"Okay." Arthur kept his other arm under Galen's shoulders. Barak concentrated his grip under Galen's torso, his eyes lifting to glare at Arthur on occasion. The other two men positioned themselves either side of Galen's legs, all four of them moved together to lift the unconscious man off the ground.
"I need some herbs, a poultice for the wound, something for pain relief when he wakes. What sort of store does Galen have?"
Merlin slowly got to his feet and looked around for an answer.
"What about the stuff he had with him?" Arthur asked, making the other three pause. The hovering group looked at the bundles of herbs that were now scattered on the ground. Some had been trampled in the chaos. One of the other bandits, a huge hulk of a man, bent down and started to gather them up with a care that belayed his brutal looking exterior. Some of the leaves and stems were now bruised and ripped. He put them carefully in the basket and he looked up at Merlin.
"No good?"
Merlin shook his head. "Not now, and most of those Galen had probably been collecting to dry off. He must have a store, or something."
"It will all been in Galen's tent," Barak said. He looked at the man gathering up the bundles. "Randal, take the serving brat there and let him get what he needs."
Merlin decided not to take any issue with the rudely spoken epitaph, which also made Arthur scowl, instead Merlin announced.
"And I'll need some fresh water, and a fire to heat it on."
"Don't want much do you?" Barak snarled.
"Only what I need to help him," Merlin said. Barak looked away. Arthur glanced at Merlin, who nodded, indicating that he should go with them to help carry Galen. Randall made sure he gathered all of the dropped bundles and held the basket in one hand, and grabbed Merlin's upper arm with the other. Merlin marvelled at the fact that the man's hand completely encircled his bicep, although his grip was careful. Merlin turned and stumbled again, lurching forward, but he was in no danger of falling. The huge brute of a man hardly put any effort into keeping him upright, he was as immovable as a statue as Merlin found his feet again.
Merlin glanced up at the bandit. He was a good head taller than he was, and three times broader, his limbs like tree trunks.
"This could take a while," Merlin said, babbling with mild nerves.
"No, it won't," the huge man announced, considering that. After a moment's thought he ducked down, putting one huge shoulder to Merlin's waist and hoisted him up over his shoulder, wrapping a strong forearm around Merlin's legs to keep him in place and swiftly carried him off.
"You couldn't just unchain me could you?" Merlin asked.
"No, I couldn't, I'lian has the only key."
"I hope he doesn't lose it," Merlin said. "This is a bit undignified."
"More undignified than you falling over every other step? I've never seen anyone so clumsy," Randal announced, rumbling with laughter.
"You want to try being coordinated with your ankles chained. It's not easy," Merlin said.
Randal said nothing, and a second later Merlin felt the huge man duck as he stepped forward and then entered the dim light of a tent. Merlin caught sight of bundles of herbs hanging from racks to be dried out and to his right, on another carefully constructed rack were the bundles, and bags, and jars which were presumably Galen's store. It looked as comprehensive as Gaius', if a little more improvised. Galen could probably only use what he foraged.
Merlin yelped as the big man paused and shrugged him off his shoulder, putting him on the ground with care and then taking him around the waist lifted him and carried him over to the rack. He kept careful hold of Merlin, so he didn't fall.
"I don't think Galen would like it if you fell onto his stock."
"Probably not," Merlin said, he wriggled free without much effort and crouched down, looking through the pouches and jars. Some were labelled, others were not. That made it a little difficult. He opened a few things and sniffed, picking up some scents that he knew.
"Empty that basket and put the bundles up over there. I can use it to carry what I need in."
Randal did as Merlin asked without question, carefully putting everything where Merlin said, while Merlin put a few pouches and jars in a small pile. Kneeling up he examined a few of the higher shelves, peering around, while he mentally sifted through the knowledge he had. Honey would be good, he thought, to stop the cut getting infected. There was lavender, and maybe take some mint, that would make an infusion which Galen could drink which might settle his stomach. Most people felt sick after a blow to the head. He added them to his pile and looked a little higher. Randal came with the basket and started to put Merlin's gathered pile in it.
"Ah!" Merlin said, starting to follow Galen's storage system. "This shelf is things to ease pain."
"That one is good," Randal said, pointing at a sizeable jar, which was half full of crushed herbs. "When we have headaches it works, but that's mostly from drinking too much."
Merlin pondered that and then picking up the jar next to it sniffed it and selected that instead, and some willow bark. Merlin looked around for any further inspiration, and then back into the basket. He shifted about, shuffling across the room on his knees, over to the work bench. It was another rickety piece of furniture, the top made from branches bound with twine, but it did the job. Merlin grabbed the pestle and mortar, two wooden bowls, some cloths and a jug, adding them to the basket that Randal was now carrying. Merlin shuffled away from the table to carefully get up.
"That should be enough."
"Okay," Randal said, and proceeded to gently hoist Merlin over his shoulder again, and he carried him and the basket from the tent, swiftly crossing the campsite. Merlin this time looked around. His eyes focused upwards as he sensed magic. There was a healing charm hanging in the tree by Galen's tent, the stone and feather charms dangling from it moving gently in the breeze. Merlin spread his senses, but nothing registered. Galen knew some healing magic, but Merlin didn't find that too surprising. But there was nothing else. Just roughly pitched tents, cooking fires, and random signs of survival.
Merlin only saw them as Randal carried him past, but all of the bandits were gathered around Barak's tent. They had moved aside for the larger man, but they closed ranks again as he passed and he ducked again to get through the tent's doorway. He carried Merlin across and put him down. Merlin turned as he felt hands on his shoulders and glanced behind him to Arthur, who was smirking just a little. Merlin gave him a 'don't you dare comment' glare, and then he took the basket off Randal and carefully put it on the floor. Looking up he noticed that there were now hot coals heating a blackened metal bowl. Merlin shuffled towards it.
"Arthur, water," Merlin said, turning and holding out his hand. Arthur raised his eyebrows. "I can't exactly move about, can I?"
Arthur's eyes glanced down at the shackles on Merlin's ankles before reaching for the water in the jug. Using the thick furred cloth that lay nearby Merlin took the metal bowl off the heat, placing it on the ground for a moment, waiting for it to cool. Arthur put the jug by its side and waited. Merlin sprinkled some leaves from a pouch into the small mortar and handed it to Arthur.
"Those need to be crushed."
Without comment Arthur did as he was told, both of them consciously ignoring Barak lingering by the entrance. Randal had left without a word, and the two bandits who had helped carry Galen had retreated at the same time.
"He hasn't shown any signs of waking up?" Merlin asked, glancing up at Arthur as he carefully poured a small amount of water into the metal bowl, it steamed a little. Arthur handed back the crushed leaves and Merlin tipped them in.
"What's that for?" Barak snapped as Merlin started to stir.
"It will help with the swelling, once the mixture has cooled. I'll clean the wound first. Arthur, can you put some water in one of those bowls please?"
Again Arthur moved without comment, rooting one of the wooden bowls out of the basket and filling it with water. Arthur picked out one of the absorbent leather cloths that Merlin had grabbed from Galen's bench and glanced at him for instruction.
"Should I clean it?" he asked.
"No," Merlin said, leaving the poultice to cool. He crawled over to the bed, Arthur followed with the bowl and cloth which he gave to Merlin.
"Just sit him up," Merlin said.
Arthur perched himself on the edge of the cot bed and pulled Galen up by wrapping one arm around him to lift him, and using his other hand to support Galen's head. He remained as limp as a rag doll in Arthur's arms as he propped Galen against him and steadied his head. Merlin sat on the bed and gently started to clean the wound with fresh water.
Barak glared at them from across the tent before announcing, "He had better be all right."
He swept from the tent, leaving them alone, although neither Arthur nor Merlin doubted that there were guards surrounding them.
"Let's hope we don't get blamed for this."
"How is that going to happen, Merlin?" Arthur said.
"It wasn't exactly in the negotiation if anyone else got hurt."
"I seriously doubt that I'lian will believe any excuse that Barak makes up."
"You don't know that. He'll probably make up something telling I'lian that you hurt Galen, if he believes that, then what?"
Arthur looked up into Merlin's concerned eyes. It was his safety on the line. Merlin met the gaze before turning back to concentrate on what he was doing.
"Besides, Galen's version of what happened is bound to be a little more truthful," Arthur reasoned.
"He's got to wake up first," Merlin said. Arthur shifted, resting his chin on Galen's shoulder as he held him. Merlin leant nearer so they could talk in an even lower tone.
"You think he might not?"
"I'm not an expert Arthur. I know Gaius has taught me some things, but I don't know how serious this is. He could be bleeding inside his skull, I know that could happen. I don't know what to do if it's more serious than just a concussion."
"Let's not make assumptions, Merlin. Just focus on what is happening. You can treat the wound and we'll wait and see what happens beyond that. The blow didn't get it's full impact, so chances are it won't be that serious. I've seen head wounds before as well."
"But, what if…"
"Don't what if at me, just deal with what you know and don't waste time anticipating what might be."
Merlin decided that was quite good advice, so he did that. He treated the wound and applied the poultice, crawling around to get what he needed rather than have Arthur put Galen down again. Once he was done he had Arthur put Galen down, watching as Arthur winced in pain.
"Are you all right?"
"I think I pulled a muscle during the fight, and I need to get out of this armour."
"Sit down," Merlin said, pointing to a nearby chair. "I can make something for the pain. If I can get back to Galen's tent, I can probably get something to soothe the strain."
"I'm fine, just get me out of this armour," Arthur said. Merlin crawled to the chair, and used it to stand up, shuffling behind Arthur to start unbuckling the straps. Arthur winced, but stayed as still as possible.
"How's your hand?" Merlin asked.
"Fine," Arthur said, lifting his hand to glance at it. The bindings had come loose on the splints.
"I can redo that," Merlin said.
Arthur nodded and then said, as Merlin lifted away the armour, putting it down on the floor. "Something for the pain might be nice."
Merlin raised his eyebrows. That was practically the equivalent of getting a please out of Arthur, which meant he was probably suffering more than he was willing to let on.
"Stay there," Merlin said, and he very carefully started to shuffle across the room, holding his arms out for balance as he made slow progress.
"You need your big friend to carry you," Arthur observed.
"Ha, ha," Merlin snapped, and then almost toppled as Barak came storming back. The bandit looked at Merlin, who was no where near Galen, and at Arthur who was now out of his armour. Barak fixed Merlin with a burning glare and the bandit's entire body tensed.
"You are supposed to be looking after Galen."
"I am, there is nothing more I can do," Merlin said.
Arthur rose to his feet as Barak stepped forward. Merlin stayed still. He knew if he tried to move he'd probably fall, and he tensed as Barak grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Leave him alone," Arthur said, stepping forward, realising he was saying that to people an awful lot. Barak glared at him.
"If anything happens to Galen, I will butcher your little brat!"
Arthur's jaw tensed, Merlin tried to pull back but Barak kept a firm grip of him. But they all froze as a voice announced.
"What the hell is going on?"
I'lian surveyed the scene from the doorway, eyes roving from one to the other, eventually alighting on Galen. Considering the look that crossed over the leader's face, Merlin wondered if the situation hadn't just got much, much worse.